Voice assistants in hospitality: using artificial intelligence for customer service

Abstract

Purpose Voice assistants (VAs) empower human–computer interactions by recognising human speech and implementing commands pronounced by users. This paper aims to investigate VA-enabled interactions between hotels and guests in the hospitality context. The research positions VAs within the artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled Internet of Things (IoT) context, disrupting old practices and processes. Smart hospitality uses VAs to support effortless value cocreation for guests cost-effectively. The research examines consumer perceptions and expectations of hospitality VAs and explores VA capabilities through expert technology providers. Design/methodology/approach This empirical paper investigates the current use and future implications of VAs for hotel environments. It uses qualitative, semi-structured in-depth interviews with 7 expert hospitality VA technology providers and 21 hotel guests who have VA experience. The research adopts a demand and supply approach, addressing the VAs in hospitality holistically. Findings The findings illustrate the requirements from both end-users’ sides, hotels and guests, exploring VA advantages and challenges. The analysis demonstrates that VAs increasingly become digital assistants. VA technology helps hotels to improve customer service, expand operational capability and reduce costs. Although in its infancy, VA technology has made progress towards optimising hotel operations and upgrading customer service. The study proposes a speech-enabled interactions model. Research limitations/implications This research stimulates the transformation of hospitality services by using VAs and the development of smart hospitality and tourism ecosystems. The study can benefit from further research with hotel managers, to reflect hoteliers’ points of view and investigate their perception of VAs. Further research can also explore different aspects of consumer–VA interaction in different contexts. Practical implications The paper makes a significant contribution to hospitality management and human–computer interaction best practices. It supports technology providers to reconsider how to develop suitable technology solutions towards improving their strategic competitiveness. It also explains how to use VAs cost-effectively and profitably while adding value to travellers’ experience. Originality/value VA studies are often focussed on the technology in private households, rather than in commercial or hotel spaces. This paper contributes to the emerging literature on AI and IoT in smart hospitality and explores the acceptance and operationalisation of VAs. The research contributes to the conceptualisation of VA-enabled hotel services and explores positive and negative features, as well as future prospects.

Avaliação do Uso da Tecnologia Inteligente em Hotéis em Termos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável

“…Within the scope of this research, customer satisfaction was among the most affected criteria. In addition, the technologies used in hotels help to improve customer service, expand operational capacity and create cost advantages (Buhalis & Moldavska, 2021). As in all sectors, providing cost advantage is the priority duties of hotel managers.…”

Smart hospitality: from smart cities and smart tourism towards agile business ecosystems in networked destinations

“…However, customers do not always perceive smart technologies positively. With hospitality perceived as high-touch, many are resistant to self-service technologies, Smart hospitality claiming they lessen the service encounter (Stamolampros et al, 2019;Choi et al, 2020;Chen et al, 2021;Buhalis and Moldavska, 2022). Robotics can be used to create novel experiences (Pizam et al, 2022;Tung and Au, 2018) and have been shown to positively affect service quality and travellers' intention to revisit (Çakar and Aykol, 2021).…”

“…Often data remain in analogue form or in silos within departmental applications, preventing its diffusion and use. Overall, many hotel properties lack the technological infrastructure needed to exploit Smart Hospitality effectively (Buhalis and Moldavska, 2022). Even though smart hospitality is broader than just technology alone, without this key enabler it is impossible to profit from such developments.…”

Smart cruising: smart technology applications and their diffusion in cruise tourism

“…Robots, Artificial Intelligence and Service Automation (RAISA) technologies are increasingly evident in tourism (Ivanov and Webster, 2019). Customer service Bots, such as ZOE of MSC Cruises (Buhalis and Moldavska, 2021) and robots like "Pepper" of Costa Cruises, provide concierge services about on-board facilities and shore trips whilst collecting evaluations about the experience. They are available 24/7 to address passenger needs, give information and can customise experiences based on individual preferences, using streaming analytics, contextual awareness and machine learning.…”